*******
A cool breeze blew through the meadow under a clear blue sky. Elphemina could feel the grass, soft and spongy under her as she stretched out, her head resting on a rolled-up blanket, the glow of the sun pleasant on her body. Flowers bloomed red, purple, and white, and she breathed deeply drinking in the aroma, as the breeze brought the slightly pungent scent of lilies. Lilies, particularly the white variety were her favourites, because she believed they denoted purity.
Propping herself up on an elbow, she gazed lovingly at the two little girls in bright yellow and red summer dresses, chasing each other around one of the flower beds, their laughter a rich accompaniment to the birdsong. She hoped the twin girls wouldn't get their beautiful dresses dirty, for Mother would chide them so. Elphemina smiled at the thought, for she knew their mother would do no such thing.
Elana and Eona were ten years younger than Elphemina, and their arrival had been a surprise, for their mother, Suza, was thought beyond child-bearing years. Suza believed the twin girls were a gift from Mithros, and rarely chided them unless it was of a very serious nature, and come to think of it, Elphemina couldn't remember any such occasion.
“Careful now, Eona...Elana, don't run over the flowers or hurt them,” Elphemina gently admonished her sisters. “That would upset the Elementals who look after all growing things...and don't get your nice dresses dirty.” The two girls waved at her and carried on playing. Elphemina smiled as she saw them carefully skirt the flower beds. Her smile faded as she saw a figure approaching. Anger flared when she recognized who it was.
“How dare you!” she snarled, climbing to her feet and rearranging her dress down. She instantly shielded herself from any sorcerous attacks.
“Forgive me,” Castillan replied “but I needed to speak to you urgently.”
Elphemina looked into the piercing cerulean eyes of the ancient, long-dead mage, her anger threatening to overwhelm her. “Say what you must, sorcerer and then begone,” she hissed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage.
Castillan bridled, for he disliked being called a sorcerer, but thought better of pointing out that minor matter to the enraged High Priestess of Mithros. “What you are planning to do is madness,” he said, raising both hands in a mollifying gesture.
“What I am planning to do is what you should have done a thousand years ago, but didn't have the courage,” Elphemina said through gritted teeth, as she glared at the sorcerer.
“Yes... Kaliope, the...emissary of Mithros at the time, wanted us to undertake the course of action you plan,” Castillan responded. “But I told her then, what I tell you now. The risk is too high, for should the Gualich consume a person of power, their strength would be such, they would be impossible to overcome.”
“Yes, the risk is high, but like Kaliope would have, I would take my own life rather than be consumed by the Gualich. In your cowardice, you refused to consider that action.”
“You dare call me a coward?” Castillan thundered, his eyes blazing. “I stood and battled Beleth, the greatest of the Gualich, and sent him and his brothers wailing back to their home world!”
“Yes, I dare!” Elphemina countered, the light of anger in her eyes matching the sorcerer's. “You should have shown more caution when you discovered the gateway. Undoubtedly built by beings of great power and knowledge surpassing yours, it had been lying dormant for a reason. But your thirst for their power and knowledge drove you to ignore the possible risks. Your selfish desires overcame sense. Activating the gateway acted as a signpost, attracting the Gualich to our world. And even when you learned the consequences of your actions, you refused to destroy the gateway. Your cowardice meant the world would always have the dark shadow of the Gualich hanging over it.”
“With my descendants always on hand to resist them!” Castillan pointed out.
“There would have been no need for those who came after you to carry that burden, if you had worked with Kaliope to destroy the gateway. Instead you erected a barrier you knew would fail in time, dooming future generations to face the same evil.”
“I did what had to be done!” Castillan, protested.
“More the pity you didn't do what needed to be done,” Elphemina mocked. “In your vanity, all you did was take credit for the brave unselfish deeds of Belash and Kyung-Su, and place a crushing burden on Casca, one he hasn't the capability to carry – though he is bravely doing his best.”
“Casca is more capable than you think,” Castillan countered.
“Yes, he is capable, but no thanks to you. You left him under-prepared for the threat the world faces, advising a course of action that would likely leave his children or their children facing the same evil in years to come.”
Elphemina paused as a thought occurred to her. “Could that be it Castillan? Are you so vain, you would have this darkest of shadows hanging over your descendants so the world comes to see the line of Castillan the great mage, as their saviours and protectors from the evil of the soul-eaters? Or do you play another game, with the fanciful tale you told Casca about using him as a conduit to seal the gateway?”
Castillan remained silent, and Elphemina considered her barbs had struck home. “Casca, Liang, Pagan, Moon and the world deserve better than you, sorcerer. I will do what needs to be done and destroy the pigging portal. Now begone, and leave me be!”
Castillan faded from sight, and it was only then that Elphemina noticed her twin sisters had also vanished.